Q: When should I start looking for an apartment in New York City?

A: Generally the best time to look for yourself is within 30 or less days of when you want to move. If you look too early, you may find a very limited selection, and if you look to late you may be unable to find the right apartment within the time you have. Be prepared to sign quickly! If you look early, most landlords with a vacant apartment will ask for you to sign a lease within 2 weeks of your application. If you offer to move in later than that, the landlord may choose another application with an earlier move in date. Similarly, if you are looking late, your application may be competing with other applicants who are VERY anxious to lease the same apartment, with thier own move out dates looming. What scenario you are most comfortable with should determine your schedule.

Q: What do I need to apply for an apartment?

A: In addition filling out our application (you can print a copy from the link on the top menu), you should be prepared to provide some or all of the following:

- Last Two Paystubs

- 1 Bank Statement

- A Letter of Employment stating how long you have been employed and your salary

- A Photo ID

- Possibly (depending on the landlord) the 1st and last pages of your tax return from the previous year

Every landlord that we work with requires that we check your credit. We advise if you already know whether you have good or bad credit you let the agent you are working with know, since he may be able to tailor your search to a landlord that will accept your credit.

Q: What rent can I afford?

A: Most NYC landlords require that your annual salary equals between 35 and 45 times the monthly rent of the apartment you are applying for. If you make less than that, you may be required to provide a Guarantor, usually a parent or relative, who will be legally responsible for your rent if you stop paying. They will have to fill out a guarantor application (the same as the tenant application mentioned above), and when you are approved, they will be faxed a Guarantor Letter, which will need to be signed and Notarized, and mailed back to JMK Realty, which will provide it to the landlord.

Please Keep In Mind! Apartments in Manhattan still rent VERY QUICKLY. If you spend too much time shopping around or waiting to find exactly the right apartment, you may lose out on the best apartment you can find, given the time you have to look.
Best of luck finding a new apartment, and we hope this was helpful!